Bug FAQWandering Tiger Moth
Spilosoma vagans · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Wandering Tiger
The forewings measure about 14 to 18 mm in length. It lives in dry forest areas of western North America, from southern California and Utah up to southern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta. Adults are active from late April through early August, and the caterpillars feed on a variety of herbaceous plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Spilosoma vagans, called the wandering tiger moth, belongs to the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length ranges from 14 to 18 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It prefers drier forests, including open ponderosa pine stands and mixed hardwood-conifer woods.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae eat various herbaceous plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from late April to early August.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from late April through early August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 10 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Washington.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult wandering tiger moths active?
Adults fly from late April to early August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find wandering tiger moths?
They occur in dry forests of western North America, from southern California and Utah up to southern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spilosoma_vagans
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.